
Tax Documents You Should Always Keep for Your Records
Filed your taxes and ready to toss the paperwork? Not so fast. Some documents, from proof of filing to home improvement receipts, need to stick around for years, or forever.
Blake Davis approaches the tax code the way a mechanic approaches an engine, methodically and without sentiment, taking apart complicated bracket structures until the moving parts make sense to anyone. His writing favors short paragraphs, concrete dollar examples and a habit of translating IRS language into terms a first time filer could follow. He gravitates toward stories about marginal rates, withholding adjustments and the small timing decisions that shift a household's bill from one year to the next. Readers who want the arithmetic shown, not just summarized, tend to find his pieces the most useful.
16 articles

Filed your taxes and ready to toss the paperwork? Not so fast. Some documents, from proof of filing to home improvement receipts, need to stick around for years, or forever.

April 15, 2025 is the deadline for 2024 tax returns. Here is a plain rundown of this year's brackets, standard deductions, credits and retirement limits before you file.

Win big at a casino or poker table? Form W-2G tells the IRS about it. Here's how the thresholds, withholding rates and reporting rules actually work.

Surcharges quietly add to what you pay at checkout, on cable bills, and while traveling. Here's how they work, where they're restricted, and how to avoid paying more than you…

Taxes due is more than a single date on the calendar. Here is how deadlines work across filers, what happens if you cannot pay in full, and how to reduce…

Pretax returns are the numbers you see on every fund sheet, but they hide the tax bill coming your way. Here's how to translate one into the other.

Starting a side business means owing 15.3% in self employment tax on top of income tax. Here is how the math works, what deductions help, and how much to set…

A tax refund can jumpstart retirement savings, but choosing between a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k) or HSA depends on your tax bracket, timeline and goals.

Not sure if your teen needs to file their own tax return? It depends on income, not age. Here is how the thresholds, forms, and kiddie tax rules actually work.

A handful of moves before December 31 can shrink your 2025 tax bill: check withholdings, max out retirement accounts, time charitable gifts, and harvest investment losses.

A practical, step by step system for managing money wisely: budgeting, automated savings, debt payoff order, and the account types that make each goal easier to reach.

Could taxing away every dollar of personal wealth above $100 million actually fix America's crumbling infrastructure? The idea recently made rounds online, and the math is tempting: there is more…

Interest earned on a high yield savings account is taxable income, and the IRS treats it the same as wages: you owe tax at your ordinary income rate on whatever…

A tax refund can do more than fund a vacation. Here is how paying down credit card debt with that money can cut interest costs, ease stress, and boost your…

Personal finance is not one product but a set of habits: budgeting, saving, debt payoff, credit, and investing. Here is how the pieces fit together and where to start.

Americans donated a record $592.5 billion to charity in 2024, yet fewer households than ever are the ones writing the checks. Charitable tax deductions, reshaped by federal law over the…